Sacrifice
by cazdinsdale
Summary: [#2 One-Shot to 'Everything Changed'] The moment leading up to her death. Annetta's point of view.


**So this is another one-shot! I hope you like it! The summary says it all!**

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**Annetta**

Flowers were my favourite things in the world. I liked to decorate my house with flowers; I felt like it brought a woman's touch. I didn't like the fact that my own house had a weapons room. It was improper, but my husband insisted and I guess what a wife could only do is go along with it. But I had said to him, "You have your weapons, I have my flowers." The motion carried, and we had our own things.

Sometimes, when my husband was feeling particularly generous and loveable he would come home with a bouquet of flowers. He would always bring me white roses. There was just something about them that made them my favourite.

When our marriage was arranged, Raphael tried to be sweet and bring me white roses on our first date. It had been so romantic. He took me to Venice for the weekend and we stayed in his beautiful summer home and took a boat ride in the river. And when we took a walk in the park he picked a white rose from a nearby bush and gave it to me. From that day onward, white roses were my favourite. When it came to our wedding all the men wore a single white rose on their clothing, the bridesmaids had a small bouquet of white roses, and I had a larger bouquet with small white roses in my dark brown hair. It was a very white wedding; but it was one of the most spectacular days of my life. It had been so perfect.

My daughter, Christina, walked into the garden where I was picking flowers for the sitting room. I was humming to a random song I had made up in my head.

She tapped me on the shoulder, "_Boungiorno, Madre_," she said with a smile.

"_Boungiorno_, my dear. How was your time in town?" I asked, hoping her time was productive.

"It was great," she relied, with a crooked smile. Something was up. "I met a new boy at the blacksmiths. His name is Sam, and he's going to be the one to make father's dagger!"

All I could think of was _Blacksmith? Really?_ But then again I wasn't the best judge of character. I was hoping he was a nice boy. "Sounds wonderful, dear. Would you like to help me with the flowers?" I asked, hoping to get off the topic of boys. "There are some tulips over there and we need some new flowers in the dining room. Would you mind picking some new ones for me?" She nodded and went to pick some tulips.

I continued to hum and exchange pleasantries with my daughter; having some girl time. When an hour passed she said she needed to go back to the market to collect that dagger. I wasn't too keen on her going alone and carrying a dangerous weapon at her side, but she was a big girl and she could be trusted.

When I finished picking flowers into the garden I returned to the sitting room to place them neatly on the coffee table. They were a bouquet of white and yellow peonies. After that I decided on a little quiet time to myself; reading a book and waiting for my husband.

It wasn't long before he came in. I liked it when he came home, but there was something different this time. When I came into the hallway to greet him I could smell something on him. _Wine? Had he been drinking? He's not a drinker? _

"Honey, are you alright?" I asked him in a worried voice. He didn't normally come home like this.

He staggered into the hallway, and when he lifted his face he looked pale. I had never seen him like that, he was a mess. It looked as if he had seen a ghost. There were heavy bags under his blue eyes, making them look brighter. He frowned at me before replying, "No, I'm not."

I looked at him in confusion. "Do you want to talk to me about it?"

He shook his head vigorously, "No, there's nothing you can do." I walked over to him, just wanting to hold him and tell him 'Everything's going to be alright' but he backed away from me.

"Raph, you're scaring me," I said, my voice shaking. When I reached up to cup his face he grabbed my wrist hard.

"No!" he shouted. His grip lingered there for a moment, and I actually felt scared of my husband. He took something from the inside pocket of his coat. It was long, silver and a green eyed brunette was reflected in the blade. Me.

I gasped and knew what he was about to do. I struggled out of his grip as he raised the dagger and tried to slice me. But as he brought it down, I twisted and he only caught the strap of my dress. He slit the fabric open and my shoulder was exposed. I needed to get away from him if I wanted to survive the night. I kicked him in the groin and he bent over in pain. The dagger clattered to the floor and I ran to the servants' quarters, making sure he couldn't see where I was going.

I went down only to find that no one was there. _Where the hell are the servants? _I wondered. Suddenly, I could hear his footsteps coming down the stairs. I was in the kitchen downstairs and I needed to hide. I chose to hide in a cabinet with the pots and the pans.

I waited for him to burst through the double doors. He threw the table across the room and I heard it crash into the wall and break into pieces. He was always a strong man, but sometimes is strength was strange. Almost inhumane.

"Annetta, dear. Please come out," he said in a sinister voice. "If you loved me, you'd come out."

I didn't answer, which only made him angrier. I heard him swipe his arm along the kitchen counters and objects crash to the ground in rage. "Annetta! I have to do this!" _Why did he have to do it? Isn't there another way?_

A moment passed and I couldn't hear him anymore. He had gone into another room. I had to risk it. I needed to get out.

A thought hit me. _There's a secret passage way upstairs from Raphael's study. That would lead me out into the woods and I could run from there. I would find Christina in the market and we could run._

But how was I supposed to get out, I had no idea where he was. I carefully exited the cupboard and tiptoed out of the room. When I reached the door I saw the stairs, but I cautiously looked left and right to see if he was there. He wasn't. That was my chance; the chance I needed to take.

I sprinted towards the stairs to the hallway upstairs. As I was running to the next set of stairs to the study I caught sight of the dining room and the sitting room. They were completely destroyed. What caught my eye the most was the ruined flowers on the coffee table in the sitting room. He must have seen them and wanted to hurt me.

I shook my head and darted towards the stairs. They creaked a lot but I didn't have time to be careful. I reached the doors of the study and headed towards the bookcase in the corner. There was a book there that if you pull it out slightly the door would be revealed.

_Cough. _Someone was behind me. I turned around slowly and saw Raphael in the door way, twisting the dagger around in his hand.

"Why me, Raph?" I cried, taking a few steps back until I hit the wall.

He came into the room and slowly walked around the chairs until he was standing only inches away from me. I could feel his warm, alcoholic breath on me.

"You've been drinking," I muttered, and he dug the knife into the side of the wooden bookcase; right next to my head.

"Of course I've been drinking; I need to," I looked into his eyes and saw that he was hurting, "You don't know what I've been through."

"Then tell me," I pleaded, "Let me help you."

He plucked the knife from the bookcase and shook his head. "You can't help me. I have to do this."

A tear fell down my cheek, "Do what?" I asked

"Kill you," he whispered. I gasped and brought my hands to my mouth in shock. I stood frozen. He turned away from me, shaking his head and muttering 'I can't do this' under his breath.

At that point he was troubled. I still loved him and I didn't want to lose him. I could have helped him, but when I tried to comfort him he slapped me across the face and sent my flying over the desk. Pain struck my lip. I went to touch it and revealed that I was bleeding.

"Annetta I'm so sorry," he whispered, coming up beside me. He towered over me and looked fearful.

"You never loved me. Why are you doing this to me?" I asked, sobbing because I knew he would do it.

"Sometimes, sacrifices must be made," he replied with deep sadness.

"You're a monster. Do you think for one second that you're just going to get away with-" he cut me off when he slapped my face again, leaving a bruise on my cheekbone.

"Shut up! I'm doing this because I have to, this is the only way!" He didn't sound like he was convinced himself. There was nothing I could do. I was powerless and he was much stronger than me.

I couldn't do much to stop him, but I didn't stop trying. "Please, my dear, I can change!"

When I called him a monster, I was right. All of a sudden, a pair of blinding white wings burst from his back and he let out a sense of relief; like he was holding his breath. He rolled his shoulders back and cracked his neck. I was stunned by him. Of all the years I'd known him, I never knew anything like that. He was beautiful yet terrifying at the same time. I didn't know whether to reach out and touch them or back away.

"Goodbye, Annetta," he said, and he drove the dagger into my stomach, holding my face as he did so.

I don't think I could describe the pain that shot through me. I can only tell you this: the emotional pain. Having the person who you wanted to spend your whole life with kill you. Knowing that your daughter might as well be next. Going through a normal day and having it changed in an instant. It tore my heart away. I felt like I was split in half. I was lied to, all these years and now the truth was coming out all because he had to kill me. I felt betrayed, finally knowing that he wasn't able to trust me.

I felt my face grow pale and I stared wide eyed at him. A pair of blue eyes flashed in the corner of my eye and I saw my daughter, standing in awe at the scene in front of her. With my last breathe, I yelled, "_Corri! Corri_, my child! Go Christina!"

The lights went out after that.

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**I hope you liked that :) Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! And any ideas for one-shots, please tell me! Also, if you haven't already read the story Everything Changed then I advise you to read it before reading any of the one-shots; they're like the aftermath of first story and to read the second story, you should probably read the one-shots! There's not much to be fair :)  
-Caz :D **


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